The Tom Price Youth Action Plan today received a bronze award in the police-led category of the 2021 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards (ACVPA).
The ACVPA recognise best practice in the prevention or reduction of violence and other types of crime in Australia and play a vital role in highlighting effective community-based initiatives to prevent crime and violence.
The 2020–21 Tom Price Youth Action Plan aims to increase police and youth interactions with the aim of building rapport and trust to successfully deliver education initiatives, and decrease youth offending through increased interaction, education and positive diversion.
Sergeant Nicole Mizen, Officer in Charge, said that this program involves all officers at Tom Price Police Station and is a group project.
“Historically there has been a disproportionately high number of youths responsible for volume crime offences in the sub-district. In 2018 and 2019, this was recognised and officers immediately set out to return to the ‘old school’ mentality of engaging with community members first,” said Sergeant Mizen.
“Since implementing the plan, youth offences dropped from 133 in 2018, then from 84 in 2019 down to 33 in 2020, a 60 per cent decrease in youth offending,” said Sargeant Mizen.
These annual awards recognise the outstanding contributions being made across Australia for crime prevention, including the development and implementation of practical projects to reduce violence and other types of crime in the community.
Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) Director, Michael Phelan APM, said that this project is aimed at positive interactions between police and young people through education, and diversion activities.
“The commitment of the police and local community members in crime prevention activities has created a great opportunity to reduce crime through positive community engagement,” said Mr Phelan.
All projects are assessed each year by the ACVPA Board, which is chaired by the AIC Director and consists of senior law enforcement representatives from each state and territory police service.
The awards are a joint Australian Government, state and territory initiative administered by the AIC.
For more information about the award winners, visit www.aic.gov.au/acvpa
To watch the ceremony please visit our YouTube channel, CriminologyTV.
AIC Media:
02 6268 7343
media@acic.gov.au